Ginkgo leaf necklace, silver

This delicate necklace, made entirely from 925 silver, is a collaboration between Ménard and the Portuguese (jewelry) designer Bruno da Rocha. It consists of a filigree anchor chain with three asymmetrically arranged ginkgo leaves and a small spring ring as a clasp. Goethe was once fascinated by the beauty and uniqueness of the ginkgo leaf, and the ginkgo leaf is also a recurring motif in da Rocha's designs, who likes to refer to natural, organic elements in his work - be it in decorativeobjekten or, as here, in pieces of jewelry.

When Gisela and Detlef Menard founded their own company in 1981, the focus was still on the sale of antique-style jewelry. It has long since become an established family business that stands for timeless design and high quality. To achieve this, Ménard harmoniously combined aspects of craftsmanship, function and design. The clasps on the necklaces and bracelets, for example, are not just a necessary constructive evil, but in their simple yet effective design are sometimes pieces of jewelry in their own right. No wonder Ménard has protected them under design law. The necklaces and bracelets made from the colorful Murano glass beads, which come from the lagoon island near Venice, famous for its glass art, are almost a trademark. And of course Ménard also uses classic jewelry materials such as pearls.

Due to the high working and social standards, short transport routes and technical expertise, Ménard relies largely on Germany as a location: the silver clasps, for example, come from the gold town of Pforzheim, stones and chains from the gemstone town of Idar-Oberstein. It is worth noting that Ménard works specifically with refineries that only use recycled silver and gold for its precious metals.